RANKING · 2010 CENSUS · 100 SHOWN OF 100

Most densely populated, North Carolina counties · 2010

North Carolina counties ranked by residents per square mile (2010). This list covers the 100 counties in North Carolina that qualify, ranked against each other statewide. The median across all 100 is 113.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 2000

01Mecklenburg County, NCNC1,233,3831,756+32%

02Wake County, NCNC1,257,2351,080+44%

03New Hanover County, NCNC245,9591,054+26%

04Durham County, NCNC347,240931+20%

05Forsyth County, NCNC401,718860+15%

06Guilford County, NCNC562,234756+16%

07Gaston County, NCNC246,558579+8%

08Cabarrus County, NCNC249,725493+36%

09Cumberland County, NCNC338,473489+5%

10Catawba County, NCNC170,172385+9%

11Buncombe County, NCNC277,417363+16%

12Alamance County, NCNC186,177357+16%

13Orange County, NCNC152,498337+13%

14Union County, NCNC267,674318+63%

15Davidson County, NCNC180,182294+11%

16Henderson County, NCNC122,375286+20%

17Iredell County, NCNC211,798278+30%

18Rowan County, NCNC155,096271+6%

19Lincoln County, NCNC98,654265+23%

20Pitt County, NCNC182,936258+26%

21Onslow County, NCNC217,175233+18%

22Lee County, NCNC70,258227+18%

23Wayne County, NCNC122,278221+8%

24Wilson County, NCNC81,150221+10%

25Johnston County, NCNC256,448213+38%

26Cleveland County, NCNC103,325211+2%

27Harnett County, NCNC150,137193+26%

28Randolph County, NCNC149,516181+9%

29Vance County, NCNC42,638180+6%

30Burke County, NCNC88,655180+2%

31Pasquotank County, NCNC42,201179+17%

32Nash County, NCNC99,365177+10%

33Caldwell County, NCNC81,105176+7%

34Rockingham County, NCNC94,195166+2%

35Watauga County, NCNC54,786163+20%

36Davie County, NCNC45,855156+18%

37Stanly County, NCNC68,830153+4%

38Lenoir County, NCNC55,8371490%

39Craven County, NCNC105,025146+13%

40Alexander County, NCNC36,958143+11%

41Robeson County, NCNC119,941142+9%

42Surry County, NCNC72,287138+3%

43Carteret County, NCNC70,469131+12%

44Moore County, NCNC110,619126+18%

45Brunswick County, NCNC174,702126+47%

46Franklin County, NCNC82,037123+28%

47Hoke County, NCNC56,939120+40%

48Rutherford County, NCNC65,745120+8%

49Yadkin County, NCNC38,325115+6%

50Scotland County, NCNC33,3221130%

51Granville County, NCNC61,421113+24%

52Edgecombe County, NCNC49,121112+2%

53Haywood County, NCNC63,369107+9%

54Stokes County, NCNC46,126105+6%

55McDowell County, NCNC45,198102+7%

56Person County, NCNC40,636101+11%

57Richmond County, NCNC42,041980%

58Chatham County, NCNC85,11193+29%

59Wilkes County, NCNC66,23392+6%

60Currituck County, NCNC33,15890+29%

61Dare County, NCNC38,24589+13%

62Transylvania County, NCNC34,21187+13%

63Polk County, NCNC20,53386+12%

64Chowan County, NCNC14,08286+2%

65Jackson County, NCNC45,03982+22%

66Greene County, NCNC20,70080+13%

67Halifax County, NCNC46,53476−5%

68Avery County, NCNC18,11072+4%

69Duplin County, NCNC51,57172+19%

70Mitchell County, NCNC15,06270−1%

71Hertford County, NCNC19,01570+9%

72Sampson County, NCNC61,50467+5%

73Macon County, NCNC39,23266+14%

74Ashe County, NCNC27,51464+12%

75Columbus County, NCNC50,48762+6%

76Cherokee County, NCNC30,83060+13%

77Pender County, NCNC72,11160+27%

78Beaufort County, NCNC44,67057+6%

79Yancey County, NCNC19,084570%

80Montgomery County, NCNC26,40357+4%

81Caswell County, NCNC22,56356+1%

82Perquimans County, NCNC13,49054+18%

83Martin County, NCNC21,60154−4%

84Anson County, NCNC21,75851+7%

85Clay County, NCNC12,23949+21%

86Warren County, NCNC18,89849+5%

87Alleghany County, NCNC11,47948+4%

88Madison County, NCNC22,55346+6%

89Camden County, NCNC11,31542+45%

90Northampton County, NCNC16,491410%

91Bladen County, NCNC30,00740+9%

92Pamlico County, NCNC12,75839+2%

93Washington County, NCNC10,63838−4%

94Gates County, NCNC10,23436+16%

95Bertie County, NCNC17,08630+8%

96Graham County, NCNC8,19030+11%

97Swain County, NCNC14,02426+8%

98Jones County, NCNC9,57522−2%

99Tyrrell County, NCNC3,53711+6%

100Hyde County, NCNC4,55490%

SHOWING 1–100 OF 100

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UPDATED 2026-09-11 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU DECENNIAL CENSUS